IF Manchester City are going to claw their way out of this division, then they need to discover a way of performing for 90 minutes instead of 45.

IF Manchester City are going to claw their way out of this division, then they need to discover a way of performing for 90 minutes instead of 45.

Just like in the televised game at Preston last month, the inconsistent Blues collapsed from a position of strength and dominance.

In doing so they tossed away yet more valuable promotion points — a bad habit that needs breaking at once.

Faced with determined opponents, the Blues’ makeshift midfield melted away at Fratton Park ending the run of four games without defeat that promised so much yet proved only another false dawn in a season of energy-sapping ups and downs.

At least manager Kevin Keegan will have been slightly more cheered by the overall performance than at Deepdale. The truth is that City made, and missed, enough chances to have comfortably won the contest.

Darren Huckerby was both hero and villain, scoring with as fine a header as will be seen this term — yet he also missed a veritable hatful of other chances.

As predicted, Keegan handed an immediate debut to latest signing Christian Negouai, and the £1.5million signing had to wait more than five minutes for his first touch in English football during which time the home side — performing in front of Fratton Park’s first sell-out of the season — should have taken the lead.

Croatian superstar Robert Prosinecki curled over a free kick that sped across the face of the City goal without anyone applying a decisive touch.

The flow was mainly toward the visitors’ goal for the opening 20 minutes but neither goalkeeper was tested.

Slow start

City’s best moments in a dull opening quarter were provided by Benarbia, who was twice denied by the last Pompey boot when attempting to put through the two Shauns, Wright-Phillips and Goater.

The third time Manchester’s magician tried his luck he put Darren Huckerby clear but the striker poked the 26th minute ball past Japanese keeper Yoshi Kawaguchi - and the far post.

Two minutes later, Huckerby made amends and headed the Blues into the lead.

Benarbia, busily establishing himself as the game’s dominant force, pulled the ball back from the corner flag on the right flank for Richard Dunne to whip in a wicked first-time cross that the flying Huckerby headed home via the inside of the post.

Amazingly, it was Huckerby’s tenth goal in eight games and his 11th of an increasingly impressive campaign.

The Blues were now on top and in full flight and, but for a ridiculously late linesman’s flag, would have doubled their lead in the 37th minute when Huckerby curled home only to be judged offside.

Goat blow

Just when everything seemed to be going the way of Keegan’s side, they lost 20-goalleading marksman Goater to an ankle injury.

It gave Leon Mike his first taste of senior soccer and he almost made a dream start three minutes from the break when he saw his volley from a Steve Howey through-ball brilliantly turned aside by Kawaguchi.

The second half started in the same vein with Pompey huffing and puffing but City creating the better chances - Huckerby outstripping the home defence but then chipping the ball harmlessly into the hands of the waiting Kawaguchi. Then Mike fired wide from a tight angle.

There was a despondency in the home ranks until, that is, former City striker Lee Bradbury did what he does best — score against the Blues.

O’Neil sent a deep 54th minute cross from the right and Bradbury ghosted in unattended at the back post to squeeze a diving header into the bottom corner.

The goal unsettled City who went to pieces for a while, not helped by more eccentric officiating and some theatrical diving.

Both Howey and Huckerby were booked as tempers frayed and as City struggled to keep their shape, Crouch was only just too high with a 68th minute header from Harper’s cross from the right.

City finally broke out of their second-half shell in the 70th minute when Dunne broke from midfield and put Huckerby in the clear in the only for Kawaguchi to again win the one on one battle.

The tide had turned in Pompey’s favour and they took full advantage in the 77th minute when the giant Crouch muscled his way onto Prosinecki’s deflected cross and bundled home his 12th of the season.

There was one last throw of the dice via Huckerby’s shot on the turn but again Kawaguchi won that battle — the decisive one of the afternoon.

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